PEOPLEWATCH

Polanski’s Problems: A state appeals court in Los Angeles says film director Roman Polanski, a fugitive since 1977 when he admitted having sex with a 13-year-old girl, can be defended against a civil suit she has filed. In a ruling Monday, the court said Polanski did not forfeit the right to defend against civil claims through his attorney by his “reprehensible, irresponsible and unlawful absence.” Polanski pleaded guilty in August, 1977, to one charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, in an incident at the home of actor Jack Nicholson. He fled before being sentenced and now lives in Paris. The civil suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in December, 1988, claims assault, battery, false imprisonment and seduction. The woman, identified as Jane Doe, seeks damages for physical and emotional distress.